Toby, Trucks and Trouble
* Egmont Publishing |series=The Railway Series |published=19 September 1988 - present |previous=Gordon the High-Speed Engine |next=Thomas and the Twins}} Toby, Trucks and Trouble is the thirty-second book of the Railway Series. Foreword Dear Friends, Trucks are silly things. They rattle, bang and chatter to each other so much that they can never hear what their engine says. Even if they did, they probably wouldn't take any notice. They pushed Mavis into a lorry, and that made extra work for Toby and Percy while she was being mended. But on the other hand, perhaps they're not all bad - after all, they did teach Bulstrode a lesson. See what you think. The Author Stories ''Mavis and the Lorry'' Mavis is bringing trucks down from Anopha Quarry when she sees a lorry at the crossing, where vehicles often come across with dangerous speed and turns. The driver, who is new to Sodor and does not expect to see an engine, has his lorry turned over when it collides with Mavis. Although the driver is unharmed but surprised, Mavis' cowcatcher is bent, and while she is being mended Toby is sent to work at the quarry, leaving Percy with extra work. ''Toby's Seaside Holiday Toby remiscises about his days working at a harbour in Yarmouth. One day, his crew told him they were allowed to go to a local village's seaside festival. After receiving brand-new paintwork, he set off to the village. After a night on a siding, Toby was told they did not have room for him, but the real reason was that they were afraid he would show everyone else up. However, Toby's daydream is interrupted when his crew returns. Toby leaves, noting the Fat Controller would have organised the whole event better. Bulstrode Percy is told to go to Knapford Harbour to help with an emergency. There, the trucks ask him to unload their stone into Bulstrode, a cantankerous old barge, to get away from his constant complaining. Unfortunately as Percy starts to push, a coupling breaks and some trucks run into Bulstrode, who nearly drowns, but luckily for him the tide is out. The trucks are sad of losing their friends, but happy because they will not have to deal with Bulstrode anymore. The workmen rescue some stone, Percy takes the broken trucks to the scrapyard, and Bulstrode is towed to a beach so children can play in him. ''Toby Takes the Road Terence takes care of the shunting for Percy while he is at the harbour, and brags about how he can "go anywhere and do anything". Then one day, Toby is going to the quarry one frosty morning. At the crossing, the earth has swelled over the rails, derailing Toby and creating two long ruts in the road nearby. With some quick thinking on the fireman's part Toby gets back on the rails, and his crew spread some of his ashes to prevent that incident from happening again. The Fat Controller soon finds out, but all he says is that Toby should stick to the railway. Toby happily agrees. Characters Mavis and the Lorry * Toby * Mavis * The Fat Controller * Percy * Thomas * Anopha Quarry Manager Toby's Seaside Holiday * Toby * 1020 * Toby's Brothers * 8783 * Henrietta * The Fat Controller Bulstrode * Percy * Bulstrode * Troublesome Trucks * Toby * The Fat Controller Toby Takes the Road * Percy * Toby * Terence * The Fat Controller * Farmer Finney * Mavis * Trevor * Anopha Quarry Manager Locations Mavis and the Lorry * Ffarquhar Quarry * The Quarry Tramroad * Ffarquhar Sheds * Ffarquhar * Arlesburgh * Ulfstead Toby's Seaside Holiday * Great Yarmouth Docks * Norfolk * Ffarquhar Sheds * Knapford Harbour Bulstrode * Ffarquhar Yard * Knapford Harbour * Knapford Harbour Bridges Toby Takes the Road * The Ffarquhar Stationmaster's House * The Quarry Tramroad * Ffarquhar Sheds * Ffarquhar * Arlesburgh * Ulfstead * Ffarquhar Yard Trivia * This book is set parallel to the events of Thomas and the Twins, as Thomas is nowhere to be seen in this book. * This was the first Railway Series book that did not contain the word "engine" or "engines" in its title. Although Christopher Awdry is regretful of breaking from tradition, he has stated it created many new book title opportunities. * This was the last Railway Series book to have a story that was televised. * This book also marks Mavis' last speaking role in the Railway Series. * Toby's flashback in Toby's Seaside Holiday takes place in between 1939 and 1948. * The events of this book took place in 1987, a year before this book first came out. * This book was published twelve weeks after the second series of the TV series was released on VHS in Australia. * Mavis and the Lorry and Toby Takes the Road ''were based on two real events on the Wishbech and Upwell Tramway. Goofs * The lorry was said to have left the road and skidded into a ditch, but in the illustration it just tipped on its side. * In the second illustration of Bulstrode, the trucks are missing their buffers. *The text in 'Toby's Seaside Holiday' states that 1020 is younger than Toby. But the J15s were built from 1883-1913 and Toby was built in 1914. * When Toby comes off the rails, the sign reads '''Arlsburgh' instead of Arlesburgh. es:Toby, Furgones y Problemas he:טובי, קרונות משא וצרות pl:Tobik, Wagony i Kłopoty Category:Railway Series Books Category:Books Category:Australian Books